Director, Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville
Mission
The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, a private nonprofit visual arts educational institution and cultural resource of the University of North Florida, serves the community and its visitors through exhibitions, collections, educational programs and publications designed to enhance an understanding and appreciation of modern and contemporary art with particular emphasis on works created from 1960 to the present.
Serving Jacksonville
MOCA Jacksonville was founded in 1924 as the Jacksonville Fine Arts Society, the first organization in our community devoted to the visual arts. In 1948, the museum was incorporated as the Jacksonville Art Museum and in 1978 it became the first institution in Jacksonville to be accredited by the American Association of Museums.
In late 1999, the museum acquired its permanent home, the historic Western Union Telegraph Building on Hemming Plaza, adjacent to the newly renovated City Hall, and became the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art. It was renamed the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville in 2006 and became a cultural resource of the University of North Florida in 2009.
Those served
MOCA Jacksonville is an international destination for visitors. Last year, more than 45,000 visitors came to MOCA, and we’ve already exceeded those numbers at this point of the year.
Biggest challenge
Building a sustainable and lasting financial framework to support the exceptional and ambitious program of the museum.
Biggest satisfaction
Creating innovative exhibitions and educational programs that emphasize the wealth of media, subject matter and approaches that make up the art of our time.
Hometown
Karvina, Czech Republic
First experience with community service
As a high school freshman, I tutored students in Spanish every morning as part of the school’s “Early Bird mentoring” program.
Your job before MOCA?
Chief Curator, Monterey Museum of Art
Upcoming events
The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville honored two of the city’s greatest philanthropists, Preston and Joan Haskell, with the 2012 Pillars of the Arts Award at a black-tie event 6 p.m. April 14 at the museum. MOCA last conferred this prestigious award in 2005 to Arthur and Teresa Milam for their strong and steadfast dedication to the museum. During the Pillars of the Arts ceremony, MOCA announced the creation of the Preston H. Haskell Exhibition Fund to support excellence in exhibitions of contemporary art at MOCA Jacksonville. The foundational gifts to this fund in Preston’s honor total more than $130,000 and were provided by The Haskell Company; Baptist Health; Celso Gonzalez-Falla and Sondra Gilman; Arthur and Teresa Milam; Russell and Joannie Newton; Howard Serkin; Hap and Brooke Stein; and Wayne and Delores Weaver.
Contact information
www.mocajacksonville.org
366-6911